Ellary’s Greens Costs a lot of Green

July 7, 2014

It isn’t in my nature to be the type to buy lunch everyday — if you tally up all your lunch bills (and especially so in the city!), I’m sure there’d be enough to feed a whole family of vegans in Tanzania or something.

But once in a while, I’ll break free from my brown-bag ways and eat lunch outside.

I chose Ellary’s Greens because (a) it’s close to work & (b) it didn’t seem too crazily overpriced.

I was grievously wrong on the latter.

Although I did like the décor and ambiance, which evoked a hip-to-be-green kind of vibe, the portion size imply didn’t justify the price of my sandwich. But if you need to conduct a business meeting where you’ll be mostly talk and not so much eating, this seems like a great place for it.

Decor-wise, the space is very airy, hip and green-feeling.

As far as service goes, I was seated promptly and there were plenty of waiters to go around.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwich –

But, don’t expect your food to turn up within 15 minutes. I waited a whole 25 minutes to finally receive my sandwich, a sandwich that was literally two pieces of sliced bread with spinach & romaine lettuce, some portabello slices, cooked onions, hummus and some sauerkraut.

A pretty basic sandwich, not too many frills here.

Nearly half an hour to make a sandwich? Simply unacceptable.

As far as how my actual sandwich tasted, I have to say, it was nothing special — or something other than what I could’ve made at home. Sure, the sandwich was tasty, but it wasn’t something I’d go out of my way to purchase the next time I want lunch. I’ll save $9.00 + tax instead, thanks.

Inside look – some spinach leaves, some mushroom, some sandwich, huh?

So next time, I’m sticking to my trusty brown bag. At least I don’t need to wait 25 minutes for it!

Aside:

Ray ordered Ellary’s “Crispy Roasted Organic Chicken Breast” and I got it to go along with my sandwich. When he got home and opened the meal, he found a quarter in his food for some inexplicable reason.

A “quarter-pounder!” Photo by Raymond Wong.

Obviously, the chicken was then rendered inedible, and after tweeting a picture of the ruined meal on his Twitter, I was able to settle my check and receive a refund as well as a $35 gift certificate from Leith, the owner of Ellary’s.

Therefore, even though we had a less-than-favorable experience at Ellary’s, the outcome was commendable and I’d like to thank the folks at Ellary’s for resolving and attending to our problem.

Who is Vegan Chao?

Being vegan means so much more than just a diet. It's a way of life and though it can be tough, I'm here to give you tips, tricks and guidance on how to live a greener, leaner, kinder life, one carrot at a time!